Cooking with Nick: Maple syrup dumplings

Every spring, as the snow begins to thaw, hordes of flannel-clad Québécois emerge from their igloos in search of food. They congregate in cramped shacks and sit shoulder to shoulder with their friends and relatives for the big feed.

Serving after serving, they bolster their fat and sugar reserves, gorging on pork, beans and pea soup drenched in maple syrup. This ritual underscores the death throes of their New Year resolutions, but also the return of warm days.

After emptying their dishes, the patrons lean back, rub their belly and let out a groan. This signals the end of the main course. Jugs of milk are brought to the tables. Dessert is coming.

Today, we are going to prepare a traditional Québécois dessert, grands-pères au syrop d'érable. Its ingredients are easy to find both in North America and Europe, and the result will please anyone not on a diet.

First, you need a the following ingredients:

500 ml maple syrup

375 ml flour

250 ml water

250 ml milk (plus some to serve with the dessert)

2 tablespoon softened butter

1 tablespoon baking powder

a pinch of salt

After gathering the ingredients, mix the water (250 ml) and the maple syrup (500 ml), and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt, then the butter and the milk.

Mix the ingredients together until they form a dough.

Make small balls with the dough, and drop them in the boiling maple syrup water.

Boil the dumplings for 20-30 minutes, then fish them out of the water. Serve with sauce and ice cream.